complicated outcome
by charlotte ivashkov
Summary: after the attack in the academy, rose sets off to kill Dimitri but promises Adrian that she'll return and give him his shot. but what happens when rose becomes a Strigoi? will adrian still be willing to take his 'shot?
1. rose awakened

"Rose! I swear it's not too late."

Shoot. His voice was close. I looked around frantically. I couldn't see him, but if he was still calling for me, he likely couldn't see me yet either. The city haze was still my guiding star, but there were trees and darkness between me and it. Suddenly, an unexpected person came to mind. Tasha Ozera. She was Christian's aunt, a very formidable lady who was one of the forerunners of teaching Moroi to fight back against Strigoi.

"We can retreat and retreat and let ourselves get backed into corners forever," she'd said once. "Or we can go out and meet the enemy at the time and place we choose. Not them."

Okay, Tasha, I thought. Let's see if your advice gets me killed.

I looked around and located a tree with branches I could reach. Shoving my stake back into my pocket, I grabbed hold of the lowest branch and swung myself up. My ankle complained the whole way, but aside from that, there were enough branches for me to get good hand-and footholds.

I kept going until I found a thick, heavy limb that I thought would support my weight. I moved out onto it, staying near the trunk and carefully testing the limb's sturdiness. It held. I took the stake out of my pocket and waited.

A minute or so later, I heard the faint stirring of leaves as Dimitri approached.

He was much quieter than I had been. His tall, dark form came into view, a sinister shadow in the night. He moved very slowly, very carefully, eyes roving everywhere and the rest of his senses no doubt working as well.

"Roza . . ." He spoke softly. "I know you're here. You have no chance of running. No chance of hiding."

His gaze was fixed low. He thought I was hiding behind a tree or crouched down. A few more steps. That was all I needed from him. Against the stake, my hand began to sweat, but I couldn't wipe it off. I was frozen, holding so still that I didn't even dare breathe.

"Roza . . ."

The voice caressed my skin, cold and deadly. Still scrutinizing his surroundings, Dimitri took one step forward. Then another. And then another.

I think it occurred to him to look up the instant I jumped. My body slammed into his, knocking him to the ground back-first. He immediately tried to throw me off, just as I tried to drive the stake through his heart. Signs of fatigue and fighting were all over him. Defeating the other Strigoi had taken its toll, though I doubted I was in much better shape. We grappled, and once, I managed to rake the stake against his cheek. He snarled in pain but kept his chest well protected. Over it, I could see where I'd ripped his shirt the first time I'd staked him. The wound had already healed. "You. Are. Amazing," he said, his words full of both pride and battle fury.

I had no energy for a response. My only goal was his heart. I fought to stay on him, and at last, my stake pierced his chest—but he was too fast.

He knocked my hand away before I could fully drive the stake through. In the process, he knocked me off of him. But before I could regain my balance and run for my life—knowing that taking Tasha's advice _almost _worked —he was on top of me, pinning my hands on the ground. "You left me no choice Roza. I would have to awaken you by force. But I know that you'll thank me for this later." I tried to wriggle out of his grip but he was too strong. Or I'm just too weak. _Damn_. His face was close to me now. Now I'm completely sure that Tasha's advice would get me killed. _No_. I thought. "Shit!!!" funny how that became my last word as a Dhampir. It was too late. His teeth sank into my neck, and I felt my soul slipping away from my body. After what felt like almost an eternity, I felt something wet on my lips. _Blood_, I thought. I tried to fight with my entire will not to swallow it but to no avail. Everything in me screamed not to take it, but I took it anyway. That just proves how bad I am at following orders. Finally, I opened my eyes, my new eyes. _Strigoi_ eyes. The first thing I saw was Dimitri's eyes on me, scrutinizing me. This could not be happening. I felt rage take over my entire body. _Why_ did he have to drag me to this life? I hated him. He was not my Dimitri. Not anymore. I wanted to kill him. But how? I felt _strong_. But I couldn't touch stakes anymore. I would have to stick with the only option I could think of. _Decapitation_. I jumped onto him and caught him by surprise. I knew that instant he was confused as to why I still wanted to pursue my goal—to kill him when we could be together forever. I sank my teeth—fangs— into his neck and ripped out a chunk from it. He cried out in pain and fury. "You left me no choice, comrade," I said in his ear. "You know what happens to those who mess with me. I would have to find a way to kill myself after this, I know. Goodbye. I love you." And with as much effort as I could muster, I ripped his head out of his body. This time, he is definitely dead. I finally did what I had to do. I freed his soul. But what about _my_ soul? Shit.


	2. promises

**Hey. This is my 2nd fic. But, FYI… in my first fic, most of it was taken from blood promise... Well, i know you'll figure it out if you've read blood promise… and please review… I'll appreciate it much... Thanks... I hope you'll like it. Special thanks to TheOriginalPrincess for her help… and check out her fics too…it's REALLY great.**

**XOXO,**

**-Charlotte**

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**Rose POV**

I sat there for a moment while thinking about the recent happenings. I had finally _killed _Dimitri. His lifeless body lay on the ground beside me. What do I do now? Fuck. Should I return to the academy? No. Lissa would be in danger. But now the danger was _me_. And I couldn't go back to that estate either. It was very clear that every Strigoi in there hate me and I'm sure as hell they'd kill me if they get the chance. Not that I couldn't take them. It would be a shame to waste my strength just to prove that I could take on them. Even as a—ugh, I hate to say it— Strigoi, I still feel that I kept some of my old self in me. I stared at my hands and found that Oksana's ring was still on my finger. That was what was keeping me sane enough. Truly, spirit powers are something. There's hope in me after all. Or is there, really? But first things first. I had to go somewhere and hide—or do I? Why not just expose myself to the sun and die? No. I shook the thought away. Lissa. My best friend. She probably doesn't know what had happened to me yet. And Adrian. Who I'd promised to give a chance when I come back. Everything is just so complicated.

It's nearly morning and the sun will be out soon. I knew that my strength is just enough from the ravens I fed on a while ago. I didn't want to be a full fledged monster so I figured that if I'd take blood, it'd be from animals. I looked down to the city by the river. Civilization. I would have to spend the day in a hotel there. I found a five star hotel just before the sun came up. I checked in for the day, using the money I got from Dimitri's pocket in the estate as I first tried to kill him using a shard of broken glass. Dimitri. Only now, as I thought of him, did my mind really grasp on the thought that he was really gone. I have to move on. But how could I if I'm stuck in this life that I loathe the most? I paced in the room for a moment, thinking of what to do. Sydney. I could call her. But my cold voice would give me away. But she's my only hope. I picked up the phone and dialed her number, a little surprised that I could still remember it.

"Hallo," I recognized Sydney's voice.

"Hey, it's Rose. Remember me?" I said, putting as much gentleness as I could. There was no answer for a moment.

"Oh, you're still alive then. Is anything wrong?" her voice was unsure.

"I was just wondering if you could contact Abe Mazur for me?" I asked, though I wasn't sure what that goddamn stalker could do for me.

"Hmmm…" she pondered on that for a moment. "I guess so." She finally said.

"Well then, please have him call me in this number, 'kay?" I said, real gently.

"Sure. Where are you anyway? Did you leave many bodies around again? I told you to call me didn't I?" she said, back into her old self again.

"Oh. I'm okay, I guess. And no, I didn't leave any bodies around. " I assured her, sticking to a lie. It'd only give her a heart attack if she knew what happened to me.

"That's good. 'Coz I'd be in really big trouble if you did. Anyway, i have to go. I'll call Abe for you, don't worry."

"Thank you. I gotta go."

"'Kay. Bye." I hung up. I lay on the bed, thinking about something I could ask Abe to do for me. But would he do it? If someone really sent him to  
bring me back, would he be really that desperate as to give me anything I wanted? The shrill ring of the phone broke my reverie. It _must _be Abe.

"Hello?" I said to the other line.

"Rose?" a man's voice answered. Abe.

"Yeah," I said, unsure of what to say.

"Where are you? Are you okay? What happened to you?" he bombarded me with questions.

"Yo, chill." I chuckled then.

"Get straight to the point Rose, why'd you have me called? What do you want?"

"Actually, I'm not sure. For now, at least. I'll call you again, okay? Bye!" I hung up before he could say another word. Damn. Why'd I think he could  
help me? Stupid. But just then, a thought suddenly came to me. Adrian. I could call him. But what could I possibly say to him? Maybe I could explain  
everything to him. Maybe he'd understand. I have no other options left. He's my only hope. I dialed his number on the phone and waited. A voice  
picked up on the fourth ring. "Dude, whoever you are, do you know what time it is? Damn it, I'm trying to sleep here, you know?" I recognized his  
voice.

"Adrian!" I said on the line before he could hang up on me.

"R-Rose?" he sounded horrified.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry, Adrian. I'm really very sorry."

"W-wait. What are you apologizing for? Would you mind telling me what's going on?" I could hear the confusion in his voice. _This is it, Rose_. I told  
myself. I had to tell him. I owe him _that,_ at least. And before I knew it, I told him everything. From how I came to Siberia and found Dimitri's family  
and how I came to Novosibirsk and found Dimitri. I told him that I'd become a blood whore to a Strigoi and told him that I'd killed Dimitri. I left out  
the part of me becoming Strigoi in the process.

"So that's it." I said, when he didn't say anything.

"Rose, where are you?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"I'm fine, Adrian. I just want to say goodbye to you. And I was hoping if you could tell Lissa goodbye, too. I'm really very sorry." If I could cry, this would've been the moment for it.

"Hold on, Rose. I don't understand. You've done what you had to do. You killed Belikov. Why won't you come back? You promised you'll come back."

"For the second time Adrian, I didn't really say the word _promise_, did I?"

"Don't change the subject Rose. You killed Belikov." He said that for the second time now, and it was finally true. He was _really_ gone.

"Yeah, I did. And I killed myself in the process." He pondered that for a moment.

"You're not saying… you're not a…?" he said, catching up.

"Yes, Adrian. I'm a Strigoi."

"Damn it, Rose. I'm going after you."

"Whoa, now. Don't Adrian. I'm dangerous."

"Sure you are. But surely there's something out there. I'm not losing hope Rose, and neither are you."

"I know you want to help me. But I am beyond that. I can't be helped, Adrian. So what you have to do now is go to Siberia and find Oksana. She's  
a spirit user too and she can help both you and Lissa. And forget about me, Adrian. How's Lissa?"

"She's hopeless, Rose. She's been really wild and I think she's in danger."

"Okay. Take care of her for me, will you? You have to go to Siberia _now _so Lissa could get help. I'll be watching you." I said before I could stop  
myself.

"Promise me, little Dhampir, that you'll be there." He said, back to his old self again.

"Sure. You have my word."

"Okay. That's probably better than thinking you're really gone." He said, and a smile crept up on my face.

"Thank you so much, Adrian. I owe you a lot. And I'm really sorry I couldn't do anything to pay you back." I told him.

"That's fine, so long as you keep your promise. And stay alive, while we figure this out, would you?" I started to protest but he cut me off.

"No, Rose. Just hang on, okay? Lissa and I will be in Siberia tonight. I'll be there if I were you. Or do you really want me to find you?"

"Cut the crap, Adrian. Just one more thing, though," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Get Lissa away form Avery Lazar. I don't have a good feeling about her. Trust me."

"Sure. If you say so, see you tonight, okay?" he asked, hopeful.

"No, Adrian. I'll be _watching_ from a distance. Making sure both of you makes it alive. How will you sneak Lissa out of the academy, anyway?" I asked.

"Now it's your turn to _trust_ me, little dhampir." I chuckled.

"You act as if everything is normal when it isn't. Look, just go get Lissa now, okay? And you better make it to Siberia before night comes. Now _go._"

"See you, Rose."

"Not a chance." I heard him laugh before hanging up on him.

Damn it. I never told him where exactly in Siberia. Well, he'll figure it out. I sighed. I'm going to Oksana's after all.

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**whoa, now. what will happen next? i'm so excited.**

**don't forget to review okay?**

**sweet kisses,**

**-C  
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	3. Hopes

**here's another chapter for you.**

**It's kinda short, but I'll update a soon as I can.**

**And don't forget to leave me your reviews**

**So I'll know what you think of my story**

**It's all I could ask from you...**

**So… come on…**

**Don't be a bitch about that…KIDDING!! LOL.**

**Okay… I'll stop ranting now so you could read…**

**Enjoy...**

**-Charlotte**

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Rose POV**

I lay on the bed, my thoughts lingering on the conversation I just had with Adrian. I glanced at the clock. It was seven in the morning. I chuckled to myself, thinking about how Adrian had answered the phone grumpily. But was he really right? Was there really hope in me? I stared at myself until my eyes rested on Oksana's ring on my finger. What would happen if I took it off? Surely, I wouldn't see any ghosts. I took the ring off and placed it gently on the bedside table. As soon as my finger no longer touched the ring, a million emotions shot through my mind I thought my head would explode. I felt like I would lose control any moment. But one emotion stood out among the others. Lust. But the question is not for whom but with _what._ Blood. That was what my body craves for. I felt my instincts start to take over and I forced all my willpower not to storm out of the room and attack the first person in sight. As much strength as I could muster, I reached for the ring. Suddenly I could think straight again. I panted from the effort it took me to fight against Strigoi instincts. If this ring—charmed with spirit powers—could take away some of the dark side of a Strigoi, then maybe there's hope after all. My mind wandered back to the room in the estate. Dimitri had touched the ring. I remember thinking that at that moment, Dimitri was himself again. We had talked about my visit to his family. And he talked to me like how he would if he were a dhampir back then. I remember how he kissed me gently—the way _my _Dimitri would—until the kiss switched from passion to hunger. Without warning, thoughts of us in the cabin came tumbling into my mind. How his body moved with my own, the feel of his lips moving synchronized with mine. How did everything change so fast? The thought of this sent a pang of hurt into me. Because all that's left of Dimitri and I are mere memories of the past. _Yes, Rose. It's time to move on._ I could still hope for the future. _My future. _It may have been too late for Dimitri, but not for me.

I leafed through a hotel stationery that I found useful as a plan crossed my mind. I listed down things that I would need: sunglasses, eye contacts (darkest colors), matching outfits —long-sleeved, turtleneck, and some dresses.

I called on to one of the female concierge at the front desk of the hotel lobby. When she was into my room, I looked at her straight in the eyes and forced as much willpower in my voice as I spoke. "You will do as I say." I concentrated into her eyes and did what I _felt_ Lissa do before from the bond—when we broke out of the academy —though I wasn't sure if it would work since I'm a dhampir-turned-strigoi but after a few seconds, I saw her eyes glaze over—effect of a really good compulsion from what I'd seen from Lissa—and she replied willingly "Yes." I gave her the list I'd just made and told her with still as much willpower as I could, "Be back within an hour." I handed her a hundred bucks and off she went. I sighed. That wasn't as hard as I thought. I almost jumped 10 feet high when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, a bit surprised.

"We're on our way Rose. I managed to sneak Lissa out and away from Avery. Would you like to talk to her?" Adrian breathed on the line. I paused, thinking.

"Well, it couldn't hurt. Put her on the line please."

"Rose!" Lissa's voice rang through the line.

"Hey, there, Liss." I managed to put a cheery tone in it.

"You don't sound so good, Rose. I missed you so much. What's happening, Rose? Adrian told me this morning that we had to go and said it's about you." And she went on like that. I was glad Adrian hadn't told her about my becoming Strigoi.

"Everything _will _be fine, Liss. You gotta trust me on that. I missed you too." I assured her.

"Okay. Will I see you soon?" I blinked. This would've brought a lump in my throat.

"Sure, Liss. In time, you will." She handed the phone back to Adrian.

"Adrian, did you bring guardians with you?" I asked, worried.

"Yeah. But only two. Aunt Tatiana would be suspicious if I'd brought more.

"Okay. Just make sure you make it to Siberia before the sun goes down. As for me, I couldn't do anything while the sun is up. Goddamn it."

"I was really wondering how you can manage to talk to me this way. I mean, aren't you supposed to be _crazed_ right now?"

"You'll have answers when you find Oksana. Her husband is shadow-kissed too, like how I used to be." I said in a sad tone.

"Don't worry little Dhampir. We'll get to the end of this."

"You sound like you know something." I asked, suspicious.

"Well, not really." From the tone of his voice, I could tell he was smiling.

"Tell me, Ivashkov."

"In time, little dhampir. I gotta go. See ya." He hung up. Where had his confidence come from? Or was he just really trying to be hopeful for me? There was a knock on the door and the concierge I'd compelled came in with many bags. I took them all and placed them on the bed.

"You can keep the change. Thanks." I said to her as she went away.

I stood in front of a mirror and tried the dark brown contacts. It wasn't really the brown color like my eyes were but at least i don't look too much like a monster. I pulled on a tight blue sleeveless dress that ends by my thighs and wore a fancy blazer over it to cover my now pale skin. I shuddered at my skin in the mirror and turned away. I was surprised to see a killer boots in the shopping bag that ends up just above my knee. Thus, exposing only a little skin in the middle of where the boots and dress ended. That concierge has fashion sense, I'll give her that.

The hours passed by until it was nearing sunset. I prepared myself to go and when I was ready to go, i told myself, "_Okay. It's time for the journey to begin."_

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**Guess I'll leave this till here tonight. I'm sleepy already.*yawns***

**Sorry bout Rose's outfit, if anyone cares.**

** i'm just so sleepy coz it's like 11:30 pm**

** and i don't usually stay up late at night. ^_^**

**so, just picture it out.. i'll post a picture of it for you...**

**hmm, maybe tomorrow. **

**i'm gonna crash any minute now. LOL.  
**

_**Should I continue this??**_

**Let me know through a review…**

**I'd really love that…**

***tantalizing smile plus beautiful eyes***

**REVIEW PLEASE!!! THANK YOU…**

***sighs***

**Sweet kisses,**

**-C.**


	4. rude awakening

**Hey there, guys…**

**I just ate a full plate of food and I think I'm gonna throw up. **

**Ugh. I find it really hard to keep food down, you know…LOL**

**Well, here's another chapter for you…**

**It's pretty short but still you owe me a review. LOL**

**Send me a review, okay?**

**XOXO,**

**-C.**

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**Rose POV**

I looked around the room to see if I've missed anything else. I found a small knife on the table with food and champagne. I stared at it for a moment. Finally, I shoved it in the pocket of my blazer. I walked down to the hotel lobby and checked out. It was dark enough outside for me to make this journey. I walked down a few blocks, unsure of what direction to take. I passed by a store displaying a long coat on a mannequin with a fedora hat on it. I shrugged and went inside. I put the coat and the hat on. _Cool. _It reminded me of some detective movie. Better yet, it covered the whole of my body so I wouldn't have to see the pale skin I now had. It was unnerving. I realized how I loved my tan skin. I remembered talking to Adrian, like he knew something. _Don't worry Little Dhampir. We'll get to the end of this. _I was too bothered by the last statement I didn't even realize he'd called me 'Little Dhampir'. When I'm so obviously _not. _Whatever. I walked out of the shop and thought a moment. After a while of walking, I approached a businessman walking over to his Ferrari car. I never thought Russia sold Ferrari's. _Nice ride_, I thought.

"Hi, you speak English?" I said as nicely as I could.

"Yes." He replied.

"I was wondering if you could tell me as to what direction Baia is." He thought for a moment before reaching into his phone for a GPS map. He pointed to where we are at the moment—near the borders of Novosibirsk —to a little dot which he pointed to be Baia. The trip from Baia to Novosibirsk had taken 15 hours. But with a car like this plus the hell of a fact how fast I could drive it...it would probably get me there before dawn. It was just 7 pm, which gives me maybe 10 hours to drive. I kicked into action. I gave the poor man a pitiful stare and looked right into those eyes, just as I did with the concierge early this morning, and told him with a voice full of authority, "Give me your phone and your car keys." Even before I finished speaking he was handing me his phone and car keys.

"You will forget that I ever came into your life. Are we clear?" somehow this reminded me of my and Lissa's breakout from the academy. I shook the thought away immediately.

"Yes." He said, his eyes glazing over.

I didn't waste any moment and jumped into the car. I drove as fast as I could and within seven hours I saw the curb to where I last sat before going with Denis and his friends to Novosibirsk. I knew I was getting close. After a few minutes, I found myself by Oksana's house. I managed to stay hidden but stayed near the house. It was nearly 3 AM and I needed to hide soon. But I couldn't possibly go knocking at their door. Now what? _Damn._

**Adrian POV**

I woke up around 2 AM. The bed had been so uncomfortable I hardly got any sleep. I recalled on the events yesterday afternoon. Lissa, I, and two other guardians which I borrowed from court arrived here that afternoon. I knocked lightly on the door. The couple was quite surprised to see us. Right then and there I noticed both their auras. But the woman's aura—Oksana—caught my attention. Her aura was gold but not the kind of gold that Lissa and I had. It made me wonder why that was. It was clear by her aura that she has spirit gifts too, but it was weaker. How could that have been so?

"Um, hi. I'm Adrian Ivashkov and this is Vasilisa Dragomir. We're friends of Rose Hathaway. She, um, told us to go here. We're both spirit users anyway." I said politely. Lissa nudged me from behind, as she doesn't like being introduced by her complete name. Both of their eyes widened as they heard our names. Finally, the female spoke.

"I'm Oksana. And this is my husband Mark." Lissa and I both shook their hands.

"What brings you here, Lord Ivashkov? Princess Dragomir? Please come in. it's getting dark." Mark said. "Call me Lissa, please." Lissa spoke for the first time, polite as ever. We came in and I studied the house. It was pretty small, and it got crowded seeing as there were now six of us. We sat on the couch, the guardians preferring to stand. The silence was awkward. Finally, I spoke. "Rose told us about you both. See, we study about spirit together. And we thought it would be better if we see you in person."

"She has returned? Then why isn't she with you?" Oksana asked, confused. "Actually, she hasn't. A really unexpected thing had happened, you see." She must have sensed my unease and I was glad Mark had changed the subject and turned to Lissa.

"You are the Lissa whom Rose was talking about? You're her bondmate?" huh. _Bondmate_. Never heard of that before.

"If you mean that I share a bond with her, then yes." Lissa replied.

"You must be tired from that long journey. We are sorry to be so insensitive. We can talk about this tomorrow, after you have rested," Oksana said gently.

"Well, if you intend to stay here for the night, which we suggest you should. It would be dangerous for you to travel during the night." She added.

"We'd be delighted to. We are sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you." Lissa said. It was bad enough that we will be sleeping in this house, but if it would mean for us to learn more about spirit, I think I could live through it. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I let my mind thought about Rose. She had said that she will be watching. But I doubt I would see her. Damn it I wish I could. It's bad enough that she had turned Strigoi, which I kept from Lissa, the way Rose would've if she were here. Why did it have to happen to her? Yes, she had killed Belikov. She had _set his soul free. _Whatever crap that means. But now it was her soul trapped in that evil body. I had once overheard in court that a soul-turned-strigoi could be brought back. That was what kept me hopeful. If that were true, I would do whatever it takes to get Rose back.

I heard movements from outside. From my heightened senses, I could tell there were at least three pairs of feet outside. I looked at the clock. It was three in the morning. It was considered the 'ungodly hour'. Who could be outside at this time of the morning? I decided maybe it was just the guardians patrolling. But I knew it were otherwise. Could it be Rose? I knew her too much. She wouldn't show herself here. Could it be some other strigoi hunting for their next prey? There were a hell lot of us Moroi here to attract them. My heart beat fast. I got out of bed as quietly as I could and peeked out of the window. It was _positive. _Strigoi were out there. Could Rose be out there, with them? No. what the fuck am I thinking? She literally hated herself enough to be conniving with other Strigoi. One of them must have sensed me. Oh fuck. What the fuck do I do now? Goddamn it.

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**Okay… I'll stop here atm…'coz i'm trying to figure out if i'm gonna throw up or what..LOL..kidding.**

**hahaha, too bad for you guys…**

**i love this one, you know... Rose and Adrian are both awake and they're just, like, a wall apart...**

**it's soo...i don't know...you tell me..LOL**

**so review please okay?? ^_^**

**Hmmm… will Adrian end up dead?**

_**Do you want him dead??**_

**Let me know through a review.**

**That's all I'm asking…you can't really ignore me, can you?? *puppy dog eyes***

**LOL. That's what I thought.**

**Sweet kisses.**

**-C.**


	5. Answers

**This is the longest one so far...**

**SO?? Review please!!**

**Either bow down, or bow out.**

**LOL. Let me know what you think okay??**

**Just click on the review button.**

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**Rose POV**

I went down from the car to look for a place to hide before the sun comes up. I still have a lot of time as it was just 2:45 AM. I went around the house to see if there was a barn here for me to hide. The place was nearly deserted except it was not for the house was there. I made my way to the car to drive around town when I heard footsteps by the side of the house. Could it be guardians? I tiptoed from behind the house to see who was there. I didn't expect to see what I was seeing. Three Strigoi hovered by the side of the house. Two of them were female accompanied by a male Strigoi. I looked at the window and I thought I saw a shadow move in there. It was a tall and lean shadow, probably Adrian. How stupid can he get?! Damn it. I looked at the trio of Strigoi and saw one of them look at the window. I could see, by the look in his eyes, that he was about to jump in. Without thinking, I ran towards them and punched the male Strigoi trying to come in through the window. He was utterly surprised to see that I was Strigoi. I realized that I got myself into a fight in a dress so tight and high heeled boots. I never thought that fighting was in the plan. That's probably what they meant by expect the unexpected. He tried to grab me but I was faster, faster than any one of them, since I was a Dhampir-turned-Strigoi. Before he could land me a punch in the gut, I kicked him between the legs, causing him to stagger backwards in pain. One of the female Strigoi glared at me and ran to my direction. I punched her in the eye. She cried in pain and anger. I grappled with them; thinking if I would get myself killed doing this.

**Adrian POV**

I _knew_ one of them noticed me. I didn't dare move nor breathe. I felt a movement from outside and I heard a grunt. Before I knew what I was doing, I looked out and saw another figure grappling with the other Strigoi. _I should get the guardians. _Without pausing to watch, I ran to the living room where the guardians stayed. "Strigoi!" I told them. They didn't waste any more time. They flew past me and out the door. I followed them and stepped out of the door and into the night. I stayed out of view and close to the house. I could see four figures now. I couldn't understand. There were four Strigoi. But one of them was fighting against the three. _Rose. _What if the guardians killed her, too? I couldn't let that happen. I ran to where they were. "Stake him!" I heard the voice I would've known wherever I was. I didn't need to see to know it was Rose. One of the guardians, Andrei, staked the Strigoi Rose held. The other guardian, Grigori, had already staked the other female. Leaving Rose and the last female Strigoi unstaked. "Rose!" I shouted. The female Strigoi turned; giving the guardians the distraction they needed to stake her. Rose ran away when the guardians' attention was altered. "Stop!" I called, running to the direction she headed. I ran as fast as I could, the guardians trailing behind me. Boy isn't she fast. "Rose, please stop." I called to her. Finally, she stopped. I closed the distance between us and reached out my hand to her.

"Don't touch me." Her cold voice said. The guardians started to close in on her. "Don't. She's Janine Hathaway's daughter." They backed away. Regret showed in her face. She tried again.

"Keep your distance, please, Adrian." This time, her voice was a little gentle.

"Its okay, Rose." I assured her.

"It is _not_ okay, Adrian. So stop fucking saying it is." I didn't know what to say, so I changed the subject.

"The sun will be out soon. You have to come inside."

"I can't and you know it." She said sadly.

"You can, Rose. Lissa doesn't have to know."

"No, Adrian. I can't be around all of you. I'm dangerous now."

"But—" I started to protest but she cut me off.

"No," she said coldly. "I have to go Adrian. I promised you I'll be watching. But I never thought something like this would happen. I'll look for someplace to hide. Go get answers from Oksana and Mark."

"Will you come and talk to us tonight? _Please? _After we understand everything?" I looked at her pleadingly. She looked like she was struggling with herself. Finally, she spoke.

"Okay. Explain everything to Lissa. And tell her she can see me if she can handle herself. I'll call you tonight. Bye Adrian." She said, miserably. She backed away and went behind the house. I followed her but she was already in a car—a _Ferrari_, can you believe it?—and was driving away. I shook my head as I went inside, the guardians following closely. _She promised. _I told myself, hopeful.

**Rose POV**

As I drove away, I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid I was. I shouldn't have stopped to talk to Adrian. But I couldn't risk him following behind me when it's still dark. I knew him enough to know that he wouldn't have stopped unless I confronted him. I found an abandoned cabin near a forest not far away from Oksana's home. I went inside. It was dark enough for me to hide here. My throat was burning with thirst so I decided to go to the forest to hunt. I kept thinking that animals are food but still it didn't keep my conscience unbothered. This was the second time I fed since becoming Strigoi. What am I doing? I was deluding myself into thinking that there's hope in me, when there's none. But what is this feeling I have that something is coming? I shook the thought away and let my instincts take over. I made it quick, seeing as I didn't have much time left, and went to hide in the cabin. The cabin was dark and from the smell I could tell that it had been vacated for long. There was one bed and a table with two chairs. There was an access to a little bathroom in a corner. The house was neat but it was dusty and filled with cobwebs. I lay on the bed and closed my eyes. I knew I no longer required sleep but I needed to get away from this nightmare. The sun was starting to rise. I tried to think of a happy thought.

**Adrian POV**

I told the guardians not to let anyone, especially Lissa, know of what had happened earlier. I got up from bed early. I had to. People here obviously didn't observe Moroi time. I went out of the little room I slept in and found Oksana and Mark preparing breakfast. Lissa was still asleep. I took the opportunity to talk to Oksana. "Good morning." I told them both. "Good morning, Lord Ivashkov," Mark greeted me.

"Adrian." I told him and turned to Oksana. "Can I talk to you privately?" I asked her. She looked surprised but followed me anyway.

"What is it you want to talk to me about?" she asked gently.

"I need to tell you something. Something very important you have to swear not to tell anyone. Lissa doesn't know about this yet, so I need your word that you will keep this to yourself." She nodded.

"You have my word." I took a deep breath and continued.

"Well, it's about Rose. She had turned Strigoi." My voice broke at the last word. Her hands closed around her mouth upon hearing what I said.

"H-how did that happen?" she asked.

"She searched for Belikov in Novosibirsk, to kill him, and she did. But unfortunately, he awakened her before she could kill him. But something bothers me," I looked at her before continuing.

"You know the way Strigoi are? They could be out of control, going along with their instincts. But when Rose had called me after she was awakened, she sounded almost the same. Her voice was a little cold, yeah, but not as cold as a normal Strigoi voice should be. I asked her about it, and she told me to come to you for answers." I looked at her to let her know I was done talking.

"When Yeva—Dimitri's grandmother—had brought Rose to our home, Mark had talked to her about how her bondmate could use spirit to take away some of the darkness that spirit infuses in her when her bondmate uses it. That's what's keeping my aura a lighter gold than yours, because when I use spirit to take away the darkness in Mark, it weakens me. It's not easy at all; it requires a careful balance, a circle of trust and strength between two people. It took us a long time to learn it. I also space out the healings, because it takes a lot out of me. It's draining, and it limits my overall power."

"You mean you can't do as much as you can before when you weren't healing him?"

"Yes, exactly."

"So Lissa's powers can be drained if she always healed the darkness from Rose?" I didn't bother pointing out that Rose doesn't get the darkness from Lissa anymore, since they weren't bonded now.

"Yes. That's why I infused some rings with spirit charm—Mark gave Rose one of them. It couldn't take the darkness away, but it helps with Mark's moods. It lessens the darkness. But it is only temporary; it doesn't last forever, it's just like any other charm."

"That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Rose was probably wearing it when she turned Strigoi. The ring kept her sane—it touched some piece of her old self."

"That may be possible."

"Then we could use spirit to bring Rose back as a dhampir. Of course! It is as simple as that."

"Mark and I met another Moroi—he uses spirit too. He used to tell a lot of stories—most of which I don't think were true…but one of them, well, he claimed he restored a Strigoi to life." Something about her words was familiar, but I couldn't tell where I had heard it.

"What's the man's name?" I asked her. After a few hesitant moments, she finally answered.

"Robert Doru." I was sure as hell I heard the name before. I tried to remember where I had heard it.

"I've heard of him before." I said suddenly.

"Where?" She asked.

"At court." I said, remembering the rumor that spread secretly around the royal court about Trenton Dashkov's bastard son. Then…

The idea hit me like a bullet. If Robert Doru truly is Trenton Dashkov's son, however illegitimate he is…

"Robert Doru is Victor Dashkov's half brother." Everything clicked into place.

**Rose POV**

I was lost in thoughts. Memories from the past. How Lissa and I first met, the first time I saw Dimitri, even the first time I saw Adrian. I heard the door open and then close. Shit. Who could it be? I racked my brains for something good to do and came up with, of course, _compulsion_. Good God. Do I really have to use compulsion that often? Soon I found out that my plan isn't necessary after all. Because standing in front of me was someone I never expected to see… _Yeva Belikova_. My eyes grew wide. Did she dream about me again? The woman has to learn to keep her dreams away from reality.

"What are you doing here, Yeva?" I asked her.

"Good morning to you too, Rose." She said sarcastically. I never thought the woman could throw attitude.

"I'm sorry. I'm just surprised. Did you dream about me again?" I said the last sentence a little sarcastically as I meant for it to be.

"Yes." She said patiently.

"Well?" I asked, irate.

"Why did you come back here?"

"I had to look out for my friends."

"I see. I had a dream after you left that you will join the undead. I dreamed that you successfully killed Dimka and so as much as I hated coming here, I feel like I owe it to you at least. Thank you, Rose." She said.

"That's all?" I taunted her. She looked into my eyes as she spoke, and I gotta say, her eyes are much scarier than mine.

"_Do not give up. There is still hope_." Most of me believed in her.

_She can sense things…things the rest of us can't. _I remembered Mark's words.

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**-C.**


	6. The Plan

**this one's short...but you'll live...**

**thanks so much to my avid reviewer TheOriginalPrincess she's soo cool**

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**Adrian POV**

We stayed inside most of the day. I found Lissa sitting on the couch and I figured this would be the time to tell her. I shrugged and joined her. "Hey, cousin. Good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" I asked her. "Good news?" she seemed unsure.

"Well, we can bring her back." She looked puzzled.

"Should've made more sense if you chose to hear the bad news first." I told her jokingly.

"Well?" she asked.

"Don't panic, okay?"

"You're making me panic by just saying that. But I'll try not to." She said, determined. I jumped into my story about Rose's quest. Her face was painted with shock most of the story, and I saw her shudder when I told her about the bloodwhore part.

"Well, cousin, that's the end of it." I thought she'd turned to stone.

"But you said we can bring her back, right?"

"I think s—" I started to answer when Oksana and Mark joined us.

"I reckon you've told her already?" Oksana asked. The woman was always polite. I wonder if it was because of the fact we're Royal.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Mark knows about our conversation." She said.

"I'm sorry. I know it wasn't my place to but I was there the whole of your conversation." He said impishly.

"Then we're all on the same page," I said. "Rose is meeting us tonight. We can tell her that we can bring her back." I said cheerfully.

"I'm not so sure about the second part. Everything Oksana told you is a—" Mark started, but I interrupted him.

"Fairytale? No. it's true. I've heard of it during my stay at the Royal court. I was at least seventeen years old back then. A Moroi came to the Royal court to visit a friend, Rhonda, who claimed to have witnessed his awakening and they told my aunt—the queen—and she ordered for the man to be pursued. He went into hiding, I think, because of that." Mark was astonished by my words.

"Wow. I never knew the reason why he went into hiding. I thought he was just out of his mind when he told us that story. But that makes sense." he admitted.

"By 'he' you mean Robert Doru? The man claiming to have restored a Strigoi to life?"Lissa spoke, obviously lost.

"Yes." The three of us said at the same time.

"So, he told you how it's done right?" I asked Mark hopefully.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if it really does work."

"Could you try to be more optimistic? Besides, there's no harm in trying, right?" he nodded.

"I'm sorry. It's not easy, though. It takes a lot from a spirit user, and most especially, it can be dangerous. I also think that he got the dark side effects of spirit most after he did that." It made me think for a moment.

"But there are three of us. Surely, it'll be easier if three spirit users would do it. It wouldn't make us too crazy because three of us will do it and so it will only take a little effort from all three of us." I said.

Just then, a strange sensation swept through me. It was disorienting, like a fluttering in my head, and a wave of heat and then ice coursing through me. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came on, so I didn't bother pointing it out to them. Oksana spoke.

"You _love _her." I knew then that she wasn't referring to the topic anymore.

"How do you know?" I asked, perplexed.

"I brushed your mind. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that but I couldn't stop myself. You were so…_determined_ for this quest. And I was intrigued about it. I'm sorry, I'm truly very sorry."

"Whoa, hold on a second, did you just say that _you brushed into my mind?_" I asked in amazement.

"Yes. And I'm so—"

"You've got to teach us how to do that!" I cut her off, excitement coursing through me. She looked wistful.

"An aura can tell a spirit user about someone's personality. But Oksana can also dig further, reaching in and actually reading more specific information about a person. Sometimes she can tie that ability into compulsion . . . but the results are very, very powerful. And wrong. It's not right to do that to someone you have no bond with." Mark said when Oksana hesitated.

"Wait. Can we go back to the plan first? You haven't exactly told us how it's done…yet. I know that Rose sent Adrian and me here to learn more about spirit. But _restoring_ her is the only way we could thank her. Besides, we _want _her back. I want my _best friend _back. And I want you to know that I will do everything I can in my power to bring her back." Lissa said, and tears filled her eyes. Silence met everyone. After a few moments, Mark finally spoke.

"Okay. Here's the plan."

**Rose POV**

The hours seemed endless as I stayed hidden in the shadow of the cabin. The clock ticked and ticked slowly, as if taunting my patience. The silver ring on my finger seemed to weaken. Spirit charms are ephemeral, like any other charm is. Soon I would not be myself, anymore. I wouldn't keep my old self any longer. Everything would be different. I would become the monster I always feared to be. I closed my eyes. This is my last moment as Rose Hathaway. Any minute, I would be the monster everyone would fear. If I could shed any tears, I would've cried a river by now.

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**see?? i told you it's short...**

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**candy kisses,**

**-C.**


	7. Recovery

**This one's kinda long.**

**Its four pages long can you imagine that?**

**But I couldn't think of anything good for its title**

**So, whatever. LOL**

**anyway, i stole a line from another vampire book**

**try to find out what that is. **

***wicked laugh plus thunder*  
**

**Read it yourself and REVIEW. Okay? **

**To those who makes time for reviews,**

**Thank you very much.**

**You don't know how that makes me happy.**

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**Adrian POV**

Everything is set. All we needed to do is to wait for darkness to take over and for Rose to call. Oksana came in with a small box.

"What's in that box?" I asked.

"Silver rings I charmed with spirit." She replied.

"Oh," Lissa said. "We could've helped you charm them, you know. You didn't have to do it alone." She continued.

"There's no need. I had this ready before you came. It's all for Mark. I figured this will help with our plan tonight." Oksana told her. Worry crossed Lissa's face.

"Are you sure this will work?" she finally said.

"Trust me, cousin. We'll have Rose back before daylight breaks." I assured her.

"I admire your faith, Adrian." Oksana interjected.

"Thanks," I said and headed out to the garden.

**Rose POV**

It's nearing dusk. Should I meet with them? I wanted to. God knows how much I missed Lissa. I still wore the outfit I was wearing yesterday. It didn't really matter, I don't need to change. I picked up the phone from the table and dialed Adrian's number.

"Miss me already?" he answered.

"Adrian." I breathed.

"Why so serious Little Dhampir?"

"You don't think this is serious enough? I'm not a dhampir anymore, you know it."

"We've got a surprise for you. But you can't claim it if you don't go tonight." He taunted.

"Actually, I don't think I'm going." I threatened.

"Too bad, this surprise is the best thing you can ever imagine." I rolled my eyes. Some part of me curious.

"Whatever that is, it better be good Ivashkov." I told him.

"See you in, um, five minutes Rose." I hung up.

I looked at the clock that hung on the wall. It meant that the sun was almost down. I sighed. I have waited longer than I have ever waited in my whole life. This ought to be good.

After the clock struck six, I was on the edge of losing it. I peeked out from the door and surely, it was dark enough. I hopped in on the car and drove to Oksana's house. I parked the car behind the house. I called on Adrian.

"Get the guardians ready, Adrian. I'm here." I hung up before he could say anything else. I checked myself in the mirror and almost jumped ten feet high upon meeting those bloodred eyes of mine. I reached for the dark brown contacts in a bag and wore it on my eyes. I went out of the car and started to walk to the front of the house. I realized I hadn't put the coat on. I shrugged to myself and continued. I could hear them breathing on the front of the house. I draw a breath of my own before stepping into the light at the side of the house. I saw them standing behind the two guardians. Mark stood protectively in the middle. I stopped ten feet in front of them.

"Rose!" Lissa said.

"Hey. How are you?" I asked, not sure if that was what I was supposed to say.

"I'm fine Rose. I understand everything. Adrian told me." I gave her a sad smile.

"Is it really smart for me to show myself here? Wouldn't it have been better if you didn't see me this way?" I asked her.

"No, Rose. I'm happy to see you." Lissa said. I smiled at her and turned to Adrian, who was busy checking me out. I laughed.

"Seeng something you like?" I told him.

"Same old Rose. Never thought I'd live to see the day that the color _blue_ would actually look good on you." I laughed again. I've never laughed this hard since going into this life. I felt the same fluttering in my head and looked at Oksana.

"Hi," I told her. "I'm sorry if all this came on without warning. I made them come here because I know they'd learn many things from you." She looked troubled but she smiled.

"It's okay, Rose." She gestured for Adrian.

I took a deep breath. _Bad idea_, I recalled the feeling I had from the hotel when I took off the ring.

I knew I had snapped. Bloodlust was in my eyes.

**Adrian POV**

I felt her mood altering. I saw the bloodlust in her eyes as she started to advance on us. I motioned for the guardians to restrain her. But she was fast. She ducked away from them. She was three inches in front of me when the guardians caught her on both sides. As they held her, I saw the struggle inside of her. It hurt me to see her like that. I took a step toward her. Lissa, Mark, and Oksana looked at me anxiously. "Don't!" Rose gasped. I could see her fighting for control—one of the things she was never really good at. I held her face with my hands and looked at her in the eyes. I wasn't about to compel her. I wanted to talk to her _soul. Or at least, what's left of it. _

"Rose. You can do it." I told her.

"I c-can't. You smell so good, Adrian. But I don't want to be a monster. You know that. _Please_." She was begging now.

"No, Rose. It's not about _what_ you are. It's about _who_ you are." She considered my words. She toiled inside her until finally, she won. She panted. I glanced back at Oksana. She moved towards us with the box of rings.

"This will help you, Rose." She spoke. She handed me the small box and I put each ring on her fingers. I could see a little of her aura. This is a good sign. Her eyes seemed to turn to a darker brown. I motioned for the guardians to let her go.

"Rose, we're going to bring you back." I told her. She looked at me as if I was insane.

"You can't. It's impossible."

"We can, actually. And I gotta say it Rose, I like your tan skin better." I told her jokingly.

"And he makes jokes." She said and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Rose. There are about three spirit users in here. We _can _bring you back. You wouldn't want me calling you Little Strigoi now, do you?"

"When," she started "will you ever take this seriously, Ivashkov?"

"Never, Rose. This is just a joke. Tomorrow, you'll wake up a dhampir again. Don't you want that?"

"Of course I do." She sighed and pondered on that for a moment. Finally, she shrugged. "Okay then. If you think it will bring me back, then there's no harm in trying, is there? But if not, you'll have to stake me, okay? Promise me, Adrian."

"You gotta have a little faith in us, Rose. It's insulting."

"Promise me." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Promise. Feel better?" She thought a moment. Then she nodded.

"Come on." I told her.

**Rose POV**

I followed them to the small garden where Mark and I had talked before. There was a table in the center—which I suppose would be where I'd be lying on. I felt like some sacrifice to the gods in those kinds of movies. I trust them. I _need _to trust them. We stopped when we reached the table. Lissa went by my side.

"I promise you, everything will be alright, Rose." She smiled determinedly and I gave her a half smile in return.

"Thanks, Liss. And I'm so sorry for leaving you." I told her.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have compelled you. I have more to be sorry than you do, Rose. You were always there for me, but what I did for you was never enough."

"No, Liss. You raised me from the dead before. That's more than enough." I assured her. Unexpectedly, she hugged me. I gently patted her back.

"Come on Rose. Get on the table." Adrian said. It made me laugh. Who knows? Maybe this would be the last time I'd laugh like this. I sighed and got on the table.

"Thank you, Adrian. Thank you so much." I kissed him on the cheek.

"Now, Rose, don't panic, okay? We need to knock you out to do this. We'll stake you but not in the heart, okay?" I shrugged. Which I thought was a pretty badass thing to do.

A guardian stood above my holding a silver stake.

"Keep it away from her heart, Andrei." Mark instructed. I saw the guardian nod.

"Don't worry, Rose." Lissa spoke. The last thing I saw was the stake coming close to my body. Then everything went black.

**Adrian POV**

Andrei brought the stake down. Rose blacked out.

"Come on. We have to do it now." Oksana said. We circled around the table. Lissa stayed by her head, Oksana by her left side, and I on her right.

"Now, this would be complicated. You have to summon all the spirit powers in you. It will be like bringing back the dead. I need you to focus. We need to find her soul and bring it back. Focus on bringing her back. Don't stop until Mark says to, okay?" Oksana said. Lissa and I looked at each other and nodded. We closed our eyes and I took a deep breath. I put my hands on Rose's hand and concentrated on healing her. I've never been really good in healing. I practiced with Lissa everyday and I had only improved much. But this time, I could feel the power from my hands channeling into Rose's body. I thought of the day I first saw her on the porch. All the times I'd seen her in the academy. All conversations I'd had with her. I focused on bringing her back, healing her with all that I can. I summoned the Rose I knew until I saw her. I found her soul. I summoned for her to go back to Rose's body and I could feel Oksana and Lissa do the same. After a few moments, she disappeared. I thought we'd failed. But then Mark spoke.

"Look," he said. I opened my eyes and I saw Lissa and Oksana do the same. My eyes fell on Rose. Mark came in closer and took out the silver stake. She didn't budge. We were all silent. Finally, I heard her heart beat. I sighed in relief.

"She'll be fine, right?" Lissa turned to Mark. Her face mirrored my worry.

"For now she will. We just have to wait until she wakes up."

"She's just sleeping now?" I asked.

"Yes." Oksana answered.

"Then I can walk her dreams?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea. She needs to rest. And I think we should let her for a while." I nodded.

"Come on. Let's get her inside." Mark carried her into the house and laid her on the bed.

"We should get some rest now. We need to bring back our strength for tomorrow." Oksana said once we were all inside the house.

"I'll stay with her until she wakes up." I told them. "Take a rest, Lissa. I'll stay with her." She was about to argue but she nodded and went to the next room. I held Rose's hand and felt that it was warmer than earlier. Her skin was turning darker but not entirely tan yet.

"You're going to be okay, Rose." I said in her ear.

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**-C.**


	8. Long Night

**hey guys...sorry i haven't updated for long**

**i've been really busy these days**

**but anyway, here's a short one**

**please review!!**

****note: Moroi time observed here. Don't get confused by Adrian's day and night here. Remember—OPPOSITE _human _time.**

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**Adrian POV**

I sat by the bed where Rose lay. The sun was trying to peep through the tinted window—which means bed time in the Moroi world. I rest my head by her bed and soon I fell asleep. I woke up and found out it was midnight, which means that the sun is at its highest peak. I opened my eyes groggily and took in my surroundings. Details from the day before came tumbling back into my memory as Rose's features came clear in front of me. Gently, I took her hand in my hand. Lissa came into the room.

"How is she?" she asked. Worry clouded her aura and features.

"She's just sleeping." I assured her. She nodded and walked from the door to the bed.

"We should go back. Everyone's probably worried sick looking for us." I scoffed.

"Not me, I'm a free spirit." I told her.

"Oh. Right. But still, we need to go back. Especially because we can bring Rose back with us now." She said, gesturing to the sleeping Rose.

"Yes, we can. We'll leave tomorrow. When Rose gets enough rest to be able to travel."

"Okay. Thanks, Adrian…for everything. Rose would be happy about this. I hope she'll see what big a sacrifice you've done for her." she said as she headed out the door and left.

I stayed by Rose's side the whole night. She looked peaceful as she slept. Her heartbeat was all that convinced me that she was alive. Alive and not Strigoi.

"Hi." I snapped out of my reverie as a voice spoke. I looked up and saw Mark by the door. I nodded in his direction to acknowledge his presence.

"I see she hasn't woken up yet." he said.

"Yeah, she hasn't." I echoed.

"I think you should return to the academy," he said. I considered thinking that we were crowding up their little hut for a moment, but he continued "where Rose could get proper medical attention." He finished, and I could see that his face clouded concern for us.

"Lissa thinks so, too. We're leaving when the sun goes down." I told him.

"Don't you think that it would be dangerous to leave for the night? Especially when it indicates the start of vampiric day?"

"Nah. I'll call for a private plane. I won't put all our lives at stake when I have all the connection we need." I gave him the assertion that this would work out as I smiled. He nodded, telling me that he understood. He was halfway out the door when I called out to him.

"Maybe you and Oksana could visit us one day?" I asked, hopeful. He shrugged in return.

"Maybe." And headed out the door. I looked down at Rose's sleeping figure on the bed. I struggled with myself not to walk in her dreams. She needed as much rest as she could get. I scrutinized her face as she slept. She looked exactly like Rose. Not a trace of being Strigoi left. Still, I worried that she might never wake up. I reached for my phone in my pocket and made an arrangement for a plane to bring us back to the academy. After I made the call, I held her hand in mine. "We're going home, Rose." I said in her ear.

****END OF CHAPTER 8**

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**xoxo,**

**-C.**


	9. Flight

**hey guys..another chapter for you..it's short, yes, but not as short as the other one...lol..**

**anyways, i'm going into the story...so stay tuned and wait for THAT part...**

**it's time for rose to have some competition, so , yeah..**

**LOL...ENJOY!!**

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Adrian POV

When it was nearing sunset—dusk in the Moroi world—we prepared to leave, using the Ferrari that Rose might've stolen to get here. Rose was still unconscious as we bid our goodbyes to the couple.

"Thank you so much for your help." Lissa said to them both.

"It's nothing. I hope you could visit us next time." Oksana replied.

"Sure. By then we'd have time to learn more about spirit." I assumed. Oksana gave me a smile in return.

"You'd best be on your way before the sun sets. It's dangerous to travel around here at night. Please take care." He gestured to the guardians. "We couldn't risk two Moroi royals' lives." He continued. The guardians nodded in agreement. We found ourselves on the road to the nearest airport. I looked out the tinted windows and found that the sun was about to set.

"Step on it." I said to the driving guardian. Rose's head lay on Lissa's lap. Minutes later, we were in the air heading to the academy. It'd take about twenty-four hours back to Montana. I lay back on my seat, thinking about the recent undertakings we've been through. I sighed. It was all worth it, anyway. We have Rose back and after she wakes up, it'll all be back to how it was. Or will it? I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them. I felt a little bit relaxed after doing that. But just then, I felt a little strange. I felt like something wasn't right. I looked at Rose, she was still asleep. I looked at Lissa—she looked rested. What could go wrong? Maybe we'd crash or something? I shook the thought away. What makes me have these weird feelings anyway? Some psychic am I? I scoffed. And then I saw _it. _It was lurking in a corner, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal itself. Only it thought the perfect moment was _now._ I shouted for the guardians and they came running like a bullet. The _Strigoi _was caught off guard; it obviously didn't think that I would see him. Something about him looks familiar. He was blonde, and male. I remembered the attack from the academy—yes, it was him. He wanted to take Lissa back then but then Castile was brave enough to protect Lissa and so he ended up being kidnapped. Damn. That blonde was still after Lissa. He shot a deadly glare in my direction, which I returned with a glower myself. "Don't let him get away!" I shouted for the guardians to hear, but it was too late. The blonde Strigoi jumped off the plane, but only before he came near me enough to say the menacing words, "It isn't over" in my ear. Whoa, he's got enough guts to jump off from some thousand feet high in the air. I checked to see if Lissa was okay. She was in total shock. She blinked a few times in the air before turning to me. "Its okay, Liss. You're safe." I assured her. I turned to the guardians. "You're paid to do your job. So do it well, you fucking idiots." I muttered to them. They cringed at the words I hadn't meant to say too harshly. I was so carried away by my feelings that I couldn't help it. "We are sorry, Lord Ivashkov." One of them said. His Russian accent made me smile a little bit. Rose was still sleeping on the soft bed by the side. How could she stay asleep through all these? God, what a man would do for love! I smiled at my thoughts, and eventually I felt Lissa relax next to me. I settled down myself and made myself comfortable. Soon enough, I was dreaming. I dreamt of Rose and me in a garden. The garden was so breathtakingly beautiful it made my heart melt. Damn, I've gotten so sentimental since I met her. Well, she does that to most men, I guess, what with her looks and appeal, plus a goddamn attitude and badass reputation. I drifted off into my dream, and I had never dreamt so peacefully before. I could stay in this dream forever and never wake up. But a dream isn't enough for me. I want Rose to be with me right now. I want her conscious. I never thought I wanted that so badly until I thought about it. I continued to dream about her until someone shook me. Fuck, what the hell is their problem? Can't I ever get a sleep around here? Annoyed, I opened my eyes and saw Lissa's face staring down at me. I remembered where I was and shot out of my seat.

"Is everything alright?" I asked her.

"Yes. We're landing in a few minutes." I looked out the window and I could see a faint light from afar. The flight had been more succinct than I thought. I took a deep breath and rested my head against the soft seat. Just a few more hours, Rose. Hold on tight.

**END OF CHAPTER 9**

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**what'd you think? LOL..**

**sorry if it's kinda boring...**

**more action later!! i promise**

**---REVIEW PLEASE!!! thank you..**

**candy kisses,**

**-C.**


	10. Influx

**hey guys**

**if it took me a long time to update.**

**i was kinda busy**

**so anyways, here's a short chapter for you**

**it's not my best, but the next chapters will be MAJOR.**

**lol. and don't forget to review.**

**candy kisses,**

**-C**

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**Adrian POV**

When the plane had landed, I carried Rose out of the plane, not minding the guardians who suggested that they be the one to carry her. I made my way out of the plane and into the waiting car. But before I could get inside, I noticed a man making our way towards us. Quickly, I put Rose's unconscious body inside the car just before he came close enough to talk to us.

"May we help you?" One of the guardians spoke.

"Good evening to you gentlemen, Lord Ivashkov. Princess Dragomir." He addressed us. Something looked familiar with this guy.

"Might we ask who you are?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"You can call me Abe." That rang a bell. This is _Abe Mazur_. Known to be a dangerous man in the Moroi world. What could he possibly want from us? I pretended not to know who he was.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you. What do you want from us Abe? As you can see, the sun is almost rising, so we best be on our way." I told him.

"Well, I'm looking for someone. I thought she might be with you. Are you on your way back to the academy?" he asked. Could he be looking for Rose? What does he want from her? And how did he know that we were from the academy?

"I'm sorry, who are you looking for?" Lissa answered.

"A girl named Rosemarie Hathaway. I heard you went out to look for her? And break out of the academy in the process?" he said the words like how a person would say water is liquid. What does he want from Rose? Better get rid of this guy before we say something to bring Rose in more trouble. As if she isn't in deep shit already.

"I think you got it all wrong. We went out to visit a friend from Russia. And if you don't mind, we'd like to be on our way. We're in a wee bit of a hurry, see." I told him in an almost unfriendly tone. One of the guardians opened the door of the car. I went in after Lissa, and I gestured towards Abe before getting in the car. As we sped away, I couldn't help thinking what he would want from Rose. I could tell Lissa was thinking about the same thing. We continued our way to the academy, with the guardian driving as fast as was possible. In a matter of an hour we reached the gates of the academy. The guardians by the gate let us in, seeing as the car belonged to me. We pulled over by the entrance, and I rushed out of the car with Rose in my arms and made my way to the clinic. It was night time in the academy so most of the students were in their respective dorms. I reached the clinic, and I didn't hesitate in going in. Dr. Olendzki was shocked to see me with Rose in my arms, but I didn't have time to explain.

"She needs help—and fast." I blurted out. I set her on one of the vacated beds by the corner. Dr. Olendzki examined her and turned to me.

"How long has she been down?" she asked. I mentally counted the days from Baia.

"About two nights already." The Doctor was obviously stunned upon hearing this.

"What happened?" she asked. Damn it. What am I supposed to say? I decided to stick with the truth.

"I will tell you what happened, but promise me that no one would know. This would be between us two. Please promise me that, Dr. Olendzki. I need your word before I let the cat out of the bag."

"Okay. I promise." I drew a deep breath before continuing.

"Rose had been turned Strigoi, and we brought her back to being a dhampir using spirit." I explained. She was horrified to her all this but after a few seconds she composed herself and turned to Rose.

"We need to run some tests first before we will be able to know what is going on inside of her. But are you really sure that she's dhampir again?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course I am. You can hear her heart beating, can you? With a heart beating like that, who wouldn't be alive?" I said in reply. At the exact moment, Lissa came through the door.

"Sorry, I ran into a little problem." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Avery." One word alone explained everything. It was Rose who explained everything at us about Avery. She was a spirit user too, and she was using compulsion on both of us to manipulate us_. I'll deal with the bitch later. _I thought to myself.

"What will happen to Rose now?" Lissa asked, worry creasing her forehead.

"We still don't know yet. Dr. Olendzki said she needed to run some tests first. You probably should get some sleep. It had been a long journey." I told her.

"I would rather stay with her, I know I couldn't sleep without knowing that she will be okay." she said, and I knew exactly what she meant.

"Haven't the headmaster found you yet?" I asked.

"I think he's found out through Avery, though. Speaking of which, what do we do with her now?"

"I think we should just pretend like we don't know about her yet. That way, it would be easier to sort out." I said.

"If Rose were awake, she would know what to do." She said, and tears welled up in her eyes. I comforted her and told her that everything would be alright.

We stayed by Rose's side the rest of the night. Dawn broke and Dr. Olendzki came back to check on Rose. I woke the sleeping Lissa from the couch just before the doctor entered the room.

"Rose's result from the test is here. She's in coma, according to her result," she paused and I can't help but ask.

"How can she be in coma? She was in perfect shape before we brought her back."

"I'm not so sure, Lord Ivashkov. But in my opinion, I think it's from the lack of blood in her system. When one becomes a part of the undead, exchange of blood is required. She was probably drained of blood when she was awakened, and I don't know how this would make sense, but _maybe_ she hadn't taken in much blood than what she needed." She looked hesitant when she said the last words.

"I know exactly what you mean. So what would she need? How long will it take her to wake up?" Lissa asked.

"For now, all we came up with is blood transfusion. We'll have to monitor her, though, see if she makes a progress. But there is also that possibility that she may_ never wake up_." hearing her say those words put a big lump in my throat.

"Th-that can't be! She _needs _to wake up! After everything we've been through for her, she _has _to wake up!" Lissa shouted. She ran to where Rose lay in deep slumber. Lissa shook her shoulders, saying,

"You _have _to wake up, Rose. Don't give up! Fight for me! Fight for _us!_" I came to her side.

"That's enough Liss. She's a strong girl. She will pull through this." I said to her, and as soon as I heard myself say those words, I knew they were true.

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**so, what do you think?**

**stay tuned for more exciting details.**

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**thank you.**

**-C.**


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